The compensatory effects of non-pecuniary attributes and the moderating effects of applicant dispositions on applicants’ acceptance of lower-pay jobs

Abstract

求職者的工作選擇受職缺的薪資水準及非財務面特性所影響，但未有研究針對後者的補償效果提供證據。根據自我決定理論，求職者會接受較低薪但具較佳關係與成長屬性的職缺以滿足基本心理需求。而此補償效果，亦可能取決於求職者的特質。因此本研究欲檢驗高低薪職缺在關係與成長屬性上的差距，是否會影響求職者對較低薪職缺的接受度，以及求職者的親和與成長需求，對上述關係的調節效果。本研究針對151位畢業生，以2×2的受試者間設計來模擬職缺選擇情境。結果顯示：相對於兩份職缺在成長與關係屬性上差異不大的情況，當低薪職缺有較佳的成長或關係屬性時，求職者有較高意願接受低薪職缺。而成長需求較高的求職者，則較可能接受成長屬性較佳的低薪職缺。

Applicants` job choices are influenced by pay level as well as non-pecuniary attributes, but no research has presented evidence regarding the compensatory effects of non-pecuniary attribute. According to selfdetermination theory, applicants would accept lower-pay jobs with favorable relatedness and growth attributes in order to fulfill basic psychological needs. In addition, the occurrence of this compensatory effect may depend on applicants` dispositions. Thus, the aim of the present study is to examine the effects of the difference in relatedness attributes and growth attributes between lower-pay jobs and higher-pay jobs on applicants` acceptance intention and choice for lower-pay jobs, and the moderating effects of applicant dispositions such as need for affiliation and need for growth. A2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design was conducted with 151 graduating students in Taiwan, and written scenarios were used to simulate a jobchoice setting. Results show that applicants (1) had greater intention of accepting and (2) were more likely to choose a lower-pay job when only the lower-pay job possessed favorable growth or relatedness attributes than when both jobs possessed favorable growth or relatedness attributes. In addition, applicants with a relatively high need for growth were more likely than participants with relatively low need for growth to accept the lower-pay job with favorable growth attributes when large growth-attribute differences were present between the two jobs.